Snow and school closures.

Ok, I except your points and it is snowing there today and mum hasn't gone to work. So they weren't being over cautious and I was being unreasonable.

I'd be very surprised if it has anything to do with fear of being sued. I think it's due to the increased choice of schools and therefore pupils being transported (often by coach) from further afield. That's certainly the case at the school I used to work at. If the majority of pupils are bussed in and the bus companies take their vehicles off the road, the school doesn't really have a choice, do they?

Also there's the fact that teachers often have a fair distance to travel. Gone are the days when everyone, staff and pupils alike, lived within walking distance of their school.

There's a Red Warning out here, so if the advice is not to travel, the schools have very little choice. Do they? The issue of fining parents for unauthorised absences is not really relevant in that case. Most of our local schools have said they are sending work out via email in any case (Though I do wonder if many actually do it - not sure I would have done!!)

That sounds like a nightmare Marydoll.

Oh Marydoll I had exactly the same experience. Singing, action songs, talent competition-anything to keep them sitting and controlled. A few more teachers arrived at different times and we eventually split them, but there were teachers missing and we doubled up classes.
I think teachers live further from schools now. The head has to decide closure first thing in the morning, based on the weather, how many staff will get in, the risk to children and the possibility that the weather may worsen and going home might be difficult. They tend to take a cautious view.

Our GS’s junior school was open yesterday when conditions were horrible. Today they were closed until ten o’clock when the situation was set to be reviewed. I suspect they may stay closed. It is bitterly cold and was still snowing until about half an hour ago. Most teachers don’t live locally to the school they work in and often don’t leave work until it is dark when the very low temperatures and potential further snowfall make travelling difficult. Headteachers have a huge responsibility to their staff and the children. I’m sure they don’t take these decisions lightly.

It is all to do with health and safety.
A number of years ago, we had very heavy snow and when I got to school, (it took over an hour to walk there, although I lived locally), I discovered my colleague and I were the only two teachers there, as most staff couldn't get there.
We had over 100 excited, soaking wet, cold children contained in the school hall, with just two of us and a pupil support assistant, which of course was, from a health and safety point of view, very risky.
Many had walked on their own, without parents, so we couldn't even ask the parents to take them back home. Neither could we leave them to ring round parents, as we had some very challenging children, who needed supervision.
It was a very stressful situation.
We really have to look at the bigger picture. The priority is keeping everyone safe.

Yes, if it is a village school and all the children and staff live locally, they can stay open. Most teachers do not live near the school. There needs to be enough supervision. Many school buses, especially those that pick up round the villages will not be running.
Here in the midlands even major routes are snarled up, some closed because of accidents.
Decisions have to be taken in sufficient time, and given the weather warnings, I think it is wise to close in certain areas.

Our local primary school is not on a main road and is not so easily accessible but it is open. Temperature is -4 and more snow is forecast. Surely schools could stay open until it is clear that getting home is potentially difficult? I seem to remember snow being really good fun at school and a good opportunity for teaching. I can remember a time when only about half the school came in and we all gathered in the hall and had a good time.

The local schools are closed and absolutely right. Light layer of snow here but red warning from mid-day onwards for 24 hours+.

The village school where I am governor has teachers coming from high up in the Black Mountains and the chances are that there would be insufficient staff to keep the children properly supervised.

I do not think the decisions are over-cautious. A red alert is rare and the advice is not to go out as the roads are unsafe - the head teachers are being responsible in these decisions and I back them all the way.

The world has changed - when we were young a lot of children walked to school along quiet roads with no risk of cars skidding off the road and up the pavement (assuming there is one).

The nonsense about missing a few days of school ruining their futures is government generated. Most teachers have their feet on the ground and recognise the realities.

So much suing going on now , it's understandable schools must be fearful.

Seems a bit dramatic on the part of the school given that there was just a sprinkling of snow. If the area forecast was for severe weather to come I suppose the school had to make a decision. To be fair it is pretty bad here in my London suburb but my GS’s school is still open. When I picked him up on Tuesday the children were having a great time snowballing each other, and GS and I had fun on the way home too. However it is much worse now and fir those who normally drive, they might find buses limited. we walked the mile or so with no problem but it’s possible some teachers could have long or awkward journeys. Since your school made their decision to close the weather has become a lot worse. I certainly wouldn’t go out in the current minus 4 and deepening snow. It’s only a handful of days and you say it will be open on Monday. It’s one of those things isn’t it. It doesn’t often happen.

I suspect it is health and safety. If they can't guarantee enough teachers in the school they have to close it. It was very different years ago when everyone pulled together in an emergency. I heard yesterday of a head teacher who had banned children from touching snow because at some point in the past a child had been injured by a snowball. Maybe just tell them that a snowball should only be snow and nothing else but maybe I'm old fashioned.